The Bob Krueger Invitational is a Giant Success
How does he do it? I wanted to find out. The Bob Krueger Invitational Golf
Tournament, in its seventh year, is one of La Salle’s most successful. This year’s
event fundraised between $23,000 and $25,000. From its beginnings, the event has
raised about $180,000 for the school. The Invitational raises more money than any
La Salle event named after an individual. It takes about 60 individual volunteers
each year to make the event happen. This year 148 golfers signed up and paid $175
each for the chance to play in the Invitational. There was even a waiting list.
Bob spent 36 years working at La Salle, 26 of which were spent as Dean of
Discipline. Also, Bob was La Salle’s first football coach and the founder of the much
respected, Physical Education Department’s Lifetime Sports Program. Bob, married
to Julie, had his 58th wedding anniversary in August. He is also the proud father of
nine children.
As Dean of Discipline, most students feared Bob. The worst thing someone could say
to you was, “Mr. Krueger wants to see you in his office.” To many students, Bob
appeared to be someone you did not want to mess with under any circumstances.
He would occasionally get strange looks on his face, making you fear for your wellbeing. Since graduating, I have come to know Bob and learned he is not the ogre he
appeared to be. He is interesting, knows how to tell a story, and can be quite
charming. I decided to set out to find how the personality contradiction came about.
How did this guy get all of these people to volunteer their time to make the
Invitational a success?
Bob has had a number of major influences in his life: his parents, Dr. Mc Coy and the
football coaches he had which include Coach McCarthy, Coach Kluska, and Coach
Bear Bryant.
Bob’s mom and dad took two different approaches to trying to raise him. Bob’s mom
tried to spoil Bob, giving him whatever he wanted, while Bob’s dad was a strict
disciplinarian with high demands. After losing a scholarship at Kentucky and Xavier,
Bob concluded his dad’s way was the correct way.
While at Xavier University, Dr. Mc Coy taught Bob “the Act of the Dramatic.” It meant
that if you didn’t have a personality that was capable of controlling students in the
classroom, you had better develop one. Bob, who was rather shy, decided, “I’ve got
to change.” So in the classroom and on the football field he became much more
strict, taking on a demeanor that seldom smiled.
Bob was also influenced by his football coaches McCarthy, Kluska and Bryant who
practiced tough love: never show weakness; the more diversity the tougher you get;
be demanding.
Bob is, by nature, not a mean person. He describes himself as a “teddy bear.” He
tried to become someone else. In football, he was influenced by the coaches he had
had. In teaching, he also felt he had to be very demanding. He had to do it the “Bear
Bryant way.”
So, given the approach Bob chose, how did he develop this loyalty among a host of
former La Salle students, that have gone out of their way to make his golfing
Invitational such a success every year? When I asked Bob that question he replied,
“There was a fear of me, but I’d like to think also a respect. The fear kept many of the
students at a distance, but the ones who came into my office found out that, once I
started talking to them, there was another type of Bob Krueger. I was able to
implement a lot things from my personal life, the problems I went through, to the
kids. I had been in their shoes. I knew what it was like.
Some kids have come back to me in years since saying, “‘You gave me a good talking
to and then said this is the way to do it, get yourself in order, get out of here and
don’t come back.’ I had a gift of reading through people, looking them in the eye and
understanding what their intent was. It was one of the reasons I lasted 26 years. I, a
lot of times, felt I really helped that kid. I’ve had students come back years later and
say how much they appreciated what I had done for them. I never thought that
would ever happen; that is the most emotional thing about it.”
One student that has come to be a good friend of Bob’s is La Salle’s Athletic Director,
Dan Flynn. “Even though he (Bob) was a tough, hardnosed, disciplinarian, no one
ever said he wasn’t fair. A lot of guys, later in life, appreciated what he did. The real
Bob Krueger is a fun loving person, that’s one of the funniest guys I’ve ever met. He
is very caring. He wants to know about you and your family. A lot of the guys that
have gotten to know Bob have become friends of Bob.”
The three guys that started the movement to do something for Bob after he retired
were Steve Strasser, Tim Burda and Bob Alexander. After his graduation, Steve and
Bob became very good friends, almost to the point where it was a father and son
relationship. Tim Burda didn’t know Bob well but got to know him on a fishing trip
and became good friends. Tim and Bob helped Bob Krueger mostly because they
were friends of Steve Strasser.
When they first asked Bob what they could do for him, Bob said he would like to
start an endowment that would grow as years went on. The idea was to use the
interest on the money for scholarships. It was John Herbert that approached Bob
with the idea of starting a golf outing. Bob replied, “I don’t want to have anything to
do with the tournament unless it is run first class.” John Herbert was of the same
mind so they decided to give it a try. People were handpicked to run it. Tom Binzer
was made chairman and Tim Burda would assist him. John Herbert came on board
with Steve Strasser and Bob Alexander.
Each year, about a week after the Invitational, they will have a follow-up meeting
with the captains to try to improve the event for next year. They meet again in
January to start in earnest the work for the coming year. The Invitational has been
so successful that you could almost close it to the general public. Just about
everyone that was in it returns. For the golfers, your day includes lunch, open bar,
hors d'oeuvre, a golf hat, cigars and every kind of snack you can think of, watering
hole stations, and a delicious gourmet meal upon completion of your 18 holes. La
Salle students are at every hole to hold the pin and clean your golf ball. Each golfer
gets a picture with his foursome and Bob as they finish the 18th hole. The winners
get tickets to the stag, trophies and rings.
Currently, each year, Bob gives out two scholarships of $1,000, to two incoming
freshmen. They get to renew their scholarship, each year until they graduate.
Congratulations Bob, for a job well done.